SL to host Whiteville Friday in third round

Published: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 10:13 PM.

Williams managed three hits and an RBI for the Devils, while Beyer collected two hits and drove in a run in the sixth with a double to deep center field.

Hanna Meready and Cassidy Willoughby also garnered hits for the Devils.

Although Herring didn’t get a hit, she scored three times and literally stole SL’s first run when she caught the Patriots infield napping and tallied all the way from first base on an infield hit by Williams.

“I have a lot to be pleased about,” Smith said. “We hit the ball well, our pitchers were outstanding, and we played excellent defense. It was just a great overall effort by a team that had worked hard the entire season.”

DEEP RUN — South Lenoir punished visiting pitcher Sarah Smoot, literally and figuratively, and the Blue Devils cruised to a deceptively easy 10-2 triumph over Climax Providence Grove in the second round of the NCHSAA state 2A softball playoffs Tuesday.

The Blue Devils (20-3) also caught a huge break after the game when Whiteville defeated top-seeded Bartlett-Yancey 3-2, guaranteeing South Lenoir a third-round home game on Friday against the Wolfpack instead of the lengthy trip across the state to Yanceyville.

“It was a good night all around,” SL coach Lisa Smith said. “We played extremely well and we get to stay at home on Friday. Everything worked out just like we hoped it would.”

It definitely wasn’t a good night for Smoot, the Patriots’ ace right-hander who had struck out 104 batters in 76 innings of work coming into the contest.

In addition to being pounded for seven hits and all 10 Devils runs, the junior was drilled twice by hard hit balls back through the box.

The first time, in the fourth, came off the bat of Mattie Beyer and nailed Smoot in the left thigh. She was able to walk that one off and stay in the game.

Smoot wasn’t so lucky in the sixth.

SL’s Brianna Williams scorched a fastball off the pitcher’s right forearm, and this time Smoot was forced to leave the game. Her condition was unavailable at press time.

On the other side, SL pitchers Taylor Sandlin and Beyer were more than okay.

Sandlin scattered five hits over five innings with three strike outs. Beyer allowed one hit and one unearned run over the final two frames.

After spotting the Patriots a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Devils made short work of the visitors, scoring six times in the first three innings.

Some nifty base running by Madison Herring and a clutch, two-out, two-run base hit by Anna Wetherington led to three SL runs in the bottom of the first.

Morgan Mentz delivered a second inning single that also plated two runs and contributed a sacrifice fly during a four-run SL outburst in the sixth.

Williams managed three hits and an RBI for the Devils, while Beyer collected two hits and drove in a run in the sixth with a double to deep center field.

Hanna Meready and Cassidy Willoughby also garnered hits for the Devils.

Although Herring didn’t get a hit, she scored three times and literally stole SL’s first run when she caught the Patriots infield napping and tallied all the way from first base on an infield hit by Williams.

“I have a lot to be pleased about,” Smith said. “We hit the ball well, our pitchers were outstanding, and we played excellent defense. It was just a great overall effort by a team that had worked hard the entire season.”